Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links…

 

70 Miles to Celebrate my 63rd Birthday

With my 63rd birthday coming up, and on a Saturday at that, I started toying with the idea of inviting my friends to ride 63 miles with me in celebration. I invited friends from both Dawn Patrol and my women’s cycling group and had nine cyclists join Bill and me (two had ridden ahead and one was lost when this picture was taken). With perfect weather conditions, I felt so good that we continued riding after finishing the course and completed 70 miles, my longest ride to date!

 

Overview of the Week

Before discussing each day’s workouts, here’s an overview of my workouts from this past week. Scroll down for daily details…

 

Sunday

After a fun group ride the day before, Bill and I drove to western Loudoun for 30 miles of gravel grinding (12.3 MPH average speed). While out, we met Kasey riding toward us and stopped to chat for a while. Kasey was out on a relaxing ride after completing a 284-mile ride on mostly gravel roads last weekend in under 24 hours.

 

Monday

Up early and out the door by 5:15 AM, I had a delightful 4-mile workout of 5-minute run/1-minute walk intervals. It was 47° and quite foggy and other than running into a cardboard box that I didn’t see setting next to the curb, it was uneventful. 😉 Later I fit in an hour of strength training in between clients.

 

Tuesday

Late in the morning I hopped on my spin bike (affiliate link) for 20 miles at a 16.8 MPH average speed and finished up just in time to meet my biking friend Betsy for a 5K walk in the 75° glorious fall weather. Yes, I biked alone in the basement and then walked with my biking buddy. 😉

 

Wednesday

With a packed early morning work schedule, I hit the street at 4:45 AM in the delightfully tranquil 64° for my 4-mile 5-minute run/1-minute walk intervals (9:41 average pace). As I worked through the morning I sneaked in strength training between clients whenever I could, and wrapped up an hour workout in a couple of segments.

I had what was hopefully my last appointment with my hand doctor and learned that even though it’s slow going, my wrist is on track with its healing. I still have swelling and a lump on the tendon, but he said that’s typical and for me to try to start gradually weening myself out of my brace. I have been wearing it all day and all night except for when I shower and run. I am typing this brace-free for the first time in months and it’s both freeing and terrifying.

 

Thursday

Other than the occasional demo for a client of how to do an exercise, I took a complete rest day from working out.

 

Friday

With my big ride scheduled for Saturday, I opted to skip legs during strength training which allowed me to finish in just over 30 minutes. Afterward I taught my balance and stretching class, made a run to Trader Joe’s and then tried to chill and rest my legs.

 

Saturday

With a starting temperature of 48°, Bill and I set out from our home for 1.25 miles to the start of my 63-mile birthday ride, a course Bill had mapped out just for the occasion. For the better part of the week, the weather had been forecast to be around 36° at the start and climbing into only to the low to mid-50’s, but we lucked out with a beautiful fall day with the temps starting at 48° and rising into the mid-60’s! With perfect weather and a well-rested body, I felt so good that we continued on after finishing the course and completed 70 miles, my longest ride to date! I was grateful to have nine friends and Bill join me for this momentous (at least to me) ride! Hopefully, I’ll get it recapped later this week.

Later in the evening, our son and daughter-in-law came over for carry-out chicken fajitas and margaritas from my favorite TexMex restaurant. Julie brought homemade s’mores cookie dough that we baked into delicious fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies!

 

Here’s What You Might Have Missed

In case you skipped checking in on my blog this past week, here’s what you missed…

 

Questions:
  • • How was your weather this week? ~Ours was forecast to get much colder than it did, but this coming week is looking COLD!
  • • What fun things do you like to do on your birthday?
  • • Did you race this weekend?

 

And that’s my rundown… Have a great week!

 

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I’m linking up with Deborah at Confessions of a Mother Runner and Kim from Running on the Fly for their Weekly Run Down. Be sure to check out not only the hosts’ posts, but those of the other great bloggers joining in on the fun!

 

Disclaimer:  This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on the blue product link and then make a purchase, I will receive a small commission for referring you. You will pay no more or less for the product; however, Amazon will show their gratitude for my referral by paying me.